I was nearing the end of my second tour in 'Nam, a run of 18 months. Things were a little chaotic over there, to put it mildly. Was assigned to B Troop 7/17th Cav at Camp Enari, next door to Pleiku. This assignment was my 4th for that tour. 2/17th ACS, 1/9th ACS, 229th AHB then 7/17th. To be clear, my butt was a little raw, and I decided to take a little time off. You see, one of the things I didn't want to burden my parents with was a telegram telling them I was KIA right at the end of my tour. I was scheduled to depart on 6 December for the Real World.

So, I decided to throw a wrench in the works for the platoon scheduling officer, and went to visit the dentist. It happened that I had a severely impacted wisdom tooth that was bothering me a bit and I figured that if I had it removed the pain meds would keep me grounded until I got to the last few days, which typically saw you grounded anyway.

The dentist took a look at the Xray and told me it would be difficult to remove and asked if I could wait until I got back home. "Oh no, I can't wait!" An hour later he put down the hammer and chisel and let me set up to admire the 3 pieces of tooth he'd removed. Yeah, he gave me some meds and grounded me, so after my return to the unit I gave my platoon leader the paperwork. PO meter was pegged at 10 I think.

Went back to see the dentist for followup just a few days before I left and sitting in front of the med center was a Huey Dustoff bird with more .50 cal bullet holes than I could count. The copilot chair was perforated like swiss cheese and that part of the cockpit was sprayed with dry blood. another crewman seat in the rear, likewise.

I milled around for the remainder of my time and they finally put me on that big ol' jet airliner and it took me away from all the crap. I was pickin' bone/tooth chips out of my gum for about 6 months after that. Smiled every time.

Praise God, for saving your life.

Great story Dan!

Glad you made it home safe!
I didn't make to to Vietnam, tried to volunteer but the Navy wouldn't have me.
You need to finish that book.

The day they sent you home was the day I was born. Early afternoon. Good day. Glad you made it back, Dan.

Welcome home BD.

Dan the Man ... great story! Thanks for sharing.

So you were up in I Corp for awhile with the unicorns and my beloved eighty-deuce?

Recon?

Y'all were attached to The Deuce for at least a year if I remember correctly. Or, by then maybe, y'all were with 3rd Herd (173rd) under Anthony B Herbert and that dickweed full bird whatshisname Ross? Bald headed dickweed. Still I Corp but .... anyways, I'm trying-to remember.

Thank you Uncle Dan!

Greatful for your rotten tooth, the fire wouldn't be same without you, Dan.



Thank you for your service.

Great story DD, you are a smart man. I'm glad you made it home Sir!

^^^This^^^ 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

And you need to get your book in print, Sir. One of the best things I’ve ever read about Vietnam. 👍🏻

Sonofabitch...the littlest choices we make...can have the most profound consequences.

Hells ya...
Luv'n it...

Thank you for your service...and thanks be to God for bringing you home safe.

Glad you made it Dan. You are a significant benefactor to the Fire.

Fortunate Son.

Glad you made it Dan. Sometime things like a bad tooth can be a blessing.

I joined ROTC at MSU to try and get a scholarship to pay for my college tuition. My brother had already entered the service as a 2nd Lieutenant with a ROTC scholarship.

I went before the review board and the attending cadet advisor told me how to approach the board with salutes and courtesy, but my long hair and unpolished brass probably has the board still laughing at the idiotic attempt for a scholarship.

I didn’t come off too well, got no scholarship and had a draft lottery number somewhere around 220. That was the end of my military career, I have always felt I didn’t fulfill my obligations to the service.

Years later I spoke to Greg Stube, a certified American Hero, and explained my feeling of inadequacy for not serving in the military. He told me not to feel that way and thanked me for my service as an employed American citizen and supporting soldiers such as himself, through my service to society.

You need to google this guy and see his amazing service to this country. A bonafide American Hero that told me to not feel guilty about not serving in the armed forces. These men that gave so valiantly to protect freedom around the world, have my utmost support and appreciation for sacrificing their lives and time spent in the armed forces of the United States, and I still have that feeling of an incomplete life that I didn’t serve as every generation before me had, clear back to the Revolutionary War.

My thanks to Dan and all that so willingly gave of their time and effort to protect what we have left in this country…



https://gregstube.com/

Thanks for your service Dan! Welcome Home!

Always enjoy your stories Dan. Thanks for your service!

And yes, Greg Stube is a great guy. I got to meet him at a function for kids put on by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
The funny thing is I had read his story in a gun rag a couple years before that and then as he told his story I thought that sounds awful familiar.
He only lived a few miles from me for a while but I believe he has since moved.
His military career began in the infantry as an 11 Charlie as I recall. Heck of a guy. Very humble.

Gents, I wasn't expecting all the accolades. Gee Whiz, shucks, blush...

SCRooster, I spent most of my 2.5 years in I Corps. Funny thing is that while in the 229th (1st Cav) based at Bien Hoa, one of our assignments was to wander back up to Danang and assist with the battle of Quang Tri. I couldn't figure out how to stay away from that place apparently. At that time I was the only wanker in the company that had been there, so I spent a lot of time as tour guide. Funny perspective? My peers had little experience in high mountain country but I was at home in the hills. I always got lost in the flatlands.

Good stuff as usual BD.

Someday I’m buying you a whiskey.

I had a battery commander who did 2 tours in VN. The first as an 11 bullet stopper and the second as a Huey/Loach pilot. He was a great commander. Unfortunately, he passed young after a snow mobile accident left him partially paralyzed. We had many heroes come from the VN generation some of whom are now gone and their accomplishments will never be known. I'm glad your still around Dan to pass on your stories.

This building was commissioned by Cpt B.C. Jolly for we MP's at B Btry in 1975. It's not much but it's still standing at 3200 feet ASL.

kwg

Thanks for the story Dan. Lucky tooth for sure. Really enjoy your posts. 👍👍

I love it when a plan works! Welcome home and thanks.

Welcome home and thanks for the great stories you tell.

As usual, told well!

My gratitude for your time in saddle.

As a side note, I rebuilt the dam at Lake Mineral Wells. They dropped the steel off and I hooked up around 800 the next morning to shake it out. In 30 seconds every guy on the crew was on top of the backhoe with me, normal English speakers reverted to Mexican quick, but I got the gist of "snake"!!! I'll say. About 30 coontail rattlers and and lessor assortment of copperheads were crawling everywhere. Inside the park I felt it unwise to start popping them with the only thing I had (1911 in .45). Guess they crawled up to catch the heat of the rebar overnight?

Resident game warden came down in a little bit and said that ain't no snakes, you want to see snakes, I will be back at 1800 and show you some snakes.

He took me in his possum cop truck through the back gate at Ft. Wolters, and the abandoned tarmac was dotted like cow pies every 3 feet or so as far as you could see with rattlers, still gives me the creepy crawlies...

Dan,

I love you.



-Flave

Worriedman, most folks have no idea about how good skids on a chopper are at turning snakes into skid marks.

Sorry, I just burped. 🤭

Dan , i want to thank you for your service, and say that I’m glad you’re still here to add to the Campfire.
You’re one of the good ones.
7mm

Thanks for your service Dan.

Dodged Another One ..

Hahaha Hahaha

Another 50 Dan

Simply amazing how some little decisions we make are little forks in the road that can affect the rest of our lives. On that day you got an “above average in headwork” as we used to call it in the Naval Aviation grading system.😁

A Warrior returns, Welcome home Brother.

Good thing you didn't ass up in that chopper.

50 years ago I was unconscious and operated on for a kidney machine, due to a tree topping accident.
Then I woke up and told them the catheter was incorrectly inserted... and get that kidney machine stuff out of my wrist.